The Star of a Galliard
by Crazy Blonde Bitch
Summary: Maquis Commander Torri Camron has an unorthodox way of fixing her problems. now that she is safe from suffocation on her space craft she has asked Janeway to allow her to retrieve her crew...her family...who were assimilated into the Borg Collective. R
1. Chapter 1

_Maquis Commander, Torri_

"Captain, long range sensors are picking up a wide spread distress call, audio only." Harry said from his console.

"Let's hear it."

The transmission started out with pops and static until the breathless voice started to call:

"This is…" a deep breath was audible in the shaken female voice. "…Commander Torri Camron…" another breath. "…of the Maquis war ship…" Breath. " … C_rusher_…" She coughed deeply. "I am…alone. My life…support…is going…offline. I don't have…much time." Her voice thickened with a sob. "The Delta…Quadrant…is…kill…ing…me." There was a dull sound and the transmission ended.

"Tom, change our course." Janeway said quickly as she took her seat.

"She sounds a bit young to be a Maquis Commander." Chakotay interjected. "Captain, I believe caution is needed."

"Harry, Play that last part again."

"Captain?"

"Do it."

"The Delta…Quadrant…is…kill…ing…me." The dull sound followed again.

"She fell." The captain was speaking to only herself. She asked for the last half of the sentence to be played with the sound up.

"…is…kill…ing…me." The dull sound came as a thud, followed by a low cry.

"She fell from her chair." Tom sped their pace. By the sound of the transmission, they had very little time.

It wasn't long before they came upon a small space craft, one humanoid life sign; life-support was completely offline.

"That doesn't look like a Maquis war ship." Chakotay muttered.

"Beam her directly to sickbay." They reset course to the Alpha Quadrant.

"Good morning." The doctor said as Commander Torri opened her eyes.

Her voice was weak as she replied, "You're a hologram."

"Yes, Yes I am." He seamed disappointed by her flat tone.

"What ship is this?" She sat up, her voice growing stronger.

"The federation, starship, Voyager." He took her vitals with his medical tri-quarter.

"Federation? Starfleet." She practically growled. "How did Starfleet capture me?"

"We didn't capture you; we saved you from the small space craft you were in. You sent out a distress call." The Doctor told her. "We are just trying to get home."

"I have heard of Voyager. Many species know who you are. She stood as the door opened. Chakotay stepped in.

"How is or Commander, Doctor?"

"Just like yourself and B-Elanna when you first came to us." The doctor commented. "She also has the personality of a certain ex-drone."

Chakotay cocked an eyebrow. "Maybe we should introduce the commander to Seven of Nine."

"Seven of Nine? Sounds like a Borg designation." The paced a little. "I can't stand the Borg. Too many voices when one drone speaks."

"She is severed from the collective. She is an individual." Chakotay watched as Torri sat down. "When did you come in contact with the Borg?"

"Twenty-three years ago. They assimilated eight Maquis. I've been trying to get them back ever since." The door opened and Torri was on her feet as Seven stepped into sickbay. "Seven of Nine?"

"Affirmative." She turned to the doctor. "I believe my ocular implant is malfunctioning."

"Let's have a look." Chakotay saw Torri's discomfort, apprehension, and fear as Seven passed her for the Doctor to inspect the implant.

"Would you like to walk with me?" he suggested. "I'm headed for the Mess Hall." The tiniest of smiles crossed her lips as she followed him out the door. "What brought you to the Delta Quadrant?"

"War." She told him flatly. "We heard of a force that killed many. They all looked the same, they fought the same, their thoughts were the same." Chakotay noticed the way she marched. She was defiantly a soldier. "Little did we know, we were going to war with an unbeatable force." She paused and her march hesitated. "War with the Borg Collective Hive Mind."

"You said Twenty- three years ago. But you barely look twenty." He looked at her, she watched ahead of herself. "How is that?"

"It's odd, isn't it. I look just out of my teen years, when, in all actuality, I'm forty-three years old." She stopped with Chakotay. "I tried to understand how my body stays young…but who am I to study and tear apart the fountain of youth?" she started to walk again. Chakotay took a second to compose himself before catching up.

R&R


	2. Chapter 2

When they stepped into the mess hall, Neelix, moral officer of the U.S.S. Voyager met them at the door. "How can I help you today, Commander?"

"Warm tea and a Talaxion Corpaso stew." Torri answered, forgetting that she wasn't a commander on this ship.

Chakotay smiled at this. "Coffee, two sugars." And they went to sit near the spacewalk window.

Torri noticed Chakotay looking at her. "I see the question trying to form behind your eyes. What is it?"

"What is Talaxion Corpaso stew?"

"Talaxion snails and turtlefish and whatever else is sitting, unused, around the kitchen." Chakotay made a face of disgust and more questioning. "What is wrong with alien cuisine, it was one of my pass times before the war."

"Hardly anyone on this ship is adventurous enough to try my cooking." Neelix answered for her as he placed her stew on the table.

"Why don't you join us, Neelix?" Chakotay asked. "Pull up a chair. I'm sure if someone needs you, they can find you." Neelix was about to decline when Torri perked up, mouth full of turtlefish.

"Please, do. You seem like someone I can stand for a time." She swallowed. "Besides, I need information and I'm sure you're wondering who I am." She sipped at her tea.

"I guess I could stay for a moment." He pulled a chair over. "First off, where are you from?"

"Earth in the alpha quadrant. This ship, Voyager? saved my life."

"Why are you in the delta quadrant?" suddenly, Neelix was very interested…as was everyone in ear shot of their table.

"War. My ship was sent to follow a Borg cube to its home and destroy the queen. Without her, order would fall into chaos. They would have destroyed themselves if we had succeeded. But we failed. Their order kept us from getting too close. The moment we entered Borg space…" she paused and slammed her hand down on the table. Everyone jumped. "… 'We are the Borg, your consciousness will be added to our own, you will be assimilated, resistance is futile.' I'm the only one, out of nine, to get away." Her amber eyes flashed to the door a millisecond before it opened to admit Captain Janeway. "The _only_ one." Janeway walked over to them, after getting her coffee, black, from the replicator.

"Commander Torri is quite the adventurist." Neelix told her. "She was just telling us about her conflicts with the Borg."

"May I join you?"

"Please." Torri had finished her stew while Neelix intrigued the Captain. "Ask another question, I'll be happy to answer."

Before anyone could spit one out, B-Elanna ran in. Out of breath, she asked, "Is it you?"

Torri looked at her for a seconded, smiled, and replied. "Yes…I am me. Are you, you?" when the chief engineer began to look offended, Torri continued. "You'll have to be more specific if you ask someone a question like that."

"Are you really Commander Torri Camron of the Maquis? Are you really the youngest of commanders in all of Earth's history?"

"She's not that young, B-Elanna." Chakotay stated.

"No, she'd be a little over forty by now. But when she left the Alpha Quadrant, twenty-five years ago, she was only eighteen."

"So, you heard of the top secret, for captain's eyes only, document that stated me the youngest commander of the war ship _Crusher_." A tiny smirk played over her lips as others leaned in.

"Heard of it? They _sang_ of you all throughout the Maquis. You are a legend!"

"I never heard of her." Chakotay argued. "and I was a captain."

At this point, Torri was astounded. "You were Maquis?"

"In their hearts, they still are." Captain Janeway whispered to her. "Come to my ready room when you're done here." She smiled as she said her good-byes. B-Elanna quickly took her seat.

"We had thought your whole crew died." B-Elanna bombarded. "Everyone thought you would renounce your rank. I didn't. I hoped you'd knock their heads together."

"I am still a commander of the Maquis. I only haven't a ship to command. And I did knock their heads together…several times." Torri commented with little enthusiasm. "but my crew did die in a way. They are Borg now." She turned to the less excited of the group, Chakotay. "What of the Maquis back home?"

"They're dead. Killed or captured. We are all that remains."

"You sound as if all is lost." Torri leaned toward him, her hand resting atop his. "Three will suffice in resurrecting the Maquis. Eleven if I can retrieve my crew. If you are willing to help in the training process." She pulled away suddenly. "Of course, I will need a captain if I cannot." She turned to the very eager B-Elanna. "and an engineer." She stood, "now if someone would be so kind as to escort me to the Captain's ready room. My presence has been requested."


End file.
